Ohio Senate passes Down Syndrome Non-Discrimination Act

Bill aims to protect babies diagnosed with Down syndrome from abortion

COLUMBUS, Ohio--Today, the Ohio Senate passed Ohio Right to Life's Down Syndrome Non-Discrimination Act (S.B. 164) 20-12, legislation which prohibits abortions for the sole reason of a Down syndrome diagnosis. SB 164 is sponsored by Senator Frank LaRose (R-Hudson).

“Ohio Right to Life thanks our pro-life senators for taking a stand against the modern-day eugenic practice of aborting babies with Down syndrome,” said Mike Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life. “We are continuously encouraged by how Ohio is on the forefront of protecting the unborn. All Ohioans regardless of the gender, skin color or disability deserve the right to live out their God-given potential and purpose.”

Two weeks ago, the Ohio House passed an identical piece of legislation, H.B. 214. Since 2011, Gov. Kasich has signed 19 Ohio Right to Life initiatives. In a 2015 interview on CNN, the Governor said he would sign the Down Syndrome Non-Discrimination Act if it made it to his desk. Before the bill makes it to Gov. Kasich's desk, either the House or the Senate must pass the opposite chamber's bill. A study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information and featured in the New York Times found that approximately 92% of unborn children diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted.

“There is a reason that 99% of people with Down syndrome are happy with their lives,” said Gonidakis. “They live joyfully, in a way that is contagious to others. We are happy that the Ohio Senate recognizes their lives as worth living.”

Founded in 1967, Ohio Right to Life, with more than 45 chapters and local affiliates, is Ohio's oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement in Ohio, ORTL works through legislation and education to promote and defend innocent human life from conception to natural death.